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Russia, Iran relax visa rules

More than five million tourists from Russia visited Iran in 2015

© Vladimir Musaelyan/TASS

MOSCOW, February 6. /TASS/. An agreement between Russia and Iran to simplify visa issuance procedures comes into effect on Saturday.

An intergovernmental agreement was signed in Teheran on November 23, 2015 in the presence of the Russian and Iranian presidents, Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani, following Russian-Iranian talks.

"The document is aimed at simplifying on reciprocal basis conditions for the trips of the two countries’ nationals," the Russian foreign ministry said, noting that it would relax visa rules for Russian and Iranian business people, people participating in scientific, cultural and creative activity, for students and teachers, tourists and other categories.

"The agreement will help strengthen Russian-Iranian ties on all directions of partnership," the ministry said.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s top adviser on international affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, who was in Moscow on a working visit on February 1-4, said Iran was considering a possibility of cancelling entry visas for tourists from Russia. "Talking about cancelling tourist visas (with Russia), this issue is discussed, considered, and this also concerns possible cancellation of business visas," Velayati said. "I will try to contribute to it."

More than five million tourists from Russia visited Iran in 2015.

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